Stay
by epex
Summary: Epilogue to Sorrow Follows Joy Everywhere. Weechester, brotherly fluff. Sam is recovering from an illness; Dean takes care of him and tries to cheer him up. Sam is three, Dean is seven.


**Supernatural is not mine .**

It's the third day since Sam has been discharged from the hospital. The doctor said it would take about a week for Sammy to be out and about again. In his fifth day of his sickness, although Sam is not feverish any more, he's still feeble and lethargic, still far from one hundred percent.

John has spent the last two days taking care of his sick son, but evil didn't wait for John Winchester to take care of his sick baby for ever, so he left this morning after a call. And f course he didn't leave before giving Dean a few orders and instructions to take care of himself and his little brother. Now Dean Winchester is left with his only job as a big brother, taking care of Sammy.

Sam is still sleeping on the bed farther from the door. He coughs a few times and starts to wriggle restlessly under his blanket, Dean knows his brother is about to wake up.

"Sammy, are you awake?" Dean asks quietly not wanting to wake Sam up if he isn't fully awake.

Sam doesn't answer; instead he slowly turns to his left side and faces his big brother, so Dean knows he is up. He stares at Dean with his tired big puppy eyes silently.

"Look who's awake. You wanna get up and watch some T.V with me?" Dean says encouragingly.

Sam shakes his head and closes his eyes tiredly. He is still exhausted after his long battle with the illness and the treatments in the hospital. He hasn't left his bed since they got out of hospital, and he's been giving their dad a hard time eating. Dean has been hoping Sam regains some of his appetite now that the fever is gone. He really wants to see his little brother healthy as soon as possible, and if Sam keeps avoiding food like last few days he won't be hale and hearty any time soon.

"Do you want me to bring you some thing to eat?"

Sam opens his eyes and looks at Dean dully before shaking his head.

Dean sighs desperately. The worst thing is Sam's silence. Sam is chatter box, but normally quiet, most of the time he plays or watches T.V noiselessly, even when they play together Dean is the louder one, but he has become so quiet after his illness, he barely talks or acknowledges any body. It's frustrating for Dean, he will be damned if he doesn't get Sam to talk today.

Dean goes to his brother and sits on the edge of his bed. "Come on Sammy, there is a funny cartoon about a bunny on T.V, you should see his ears, they're so huge." Sam doesn't show any interest. Dean pulls down the blanket a little to encourage his little brother to come out of bed.

Sam just sinks down under the blanket more, curling into himself in a defensive way.

"Ok, ok… no coming out of the bed. Just tell me if you need any thing." Dean says disappointedly.

Sam looks around, investigating the room. "Whe's daddy?" He asks in a small voice.

"Uhhh, he left when you were sleeping… he'll be back tonight."

Sam looks disappointed; stillness consumes the room once again. Dean really wishes their dad didn't have to leave them alone, just this once.

"Doggie." Sam says after a few moments of heavy silence.

Dean bends down and picks up Sam's worn out stuffed dog from beside the bed.

"Here."

Sam opens his arms and Dean puts Doggie into his arms. Sam hugs the stuffed animal tightly and chews on his ear nervously.

"Sammy, take it out, it's not clean." Dean takes out the toy's ear out of his brother's mouth gently.

Sam pouts and pulls the blanket on his face, leaving only a mop of brown hair out.

The only thing worse than a quiet Sam is a sulking quiet Sam. Dean rubs his face with both hands and looks at his brother's small frame under the blanket. He wishes Sam tells him what he really wants, right now he gives him any thing even his whole collection of toy cars his dad gave him for his birth day. But it looks like Sam can't care less about him right now. Maybe it's so stupid to be jealous of a stuffed animal, but humans can be jealous of so many stupid things when it comes to their loved ones. Dean feels stupid, but he thinks Sam loves Doggie more than him.

"Sammy, come out, you should eat some thing." Dean begs his brother. "Please, for me." He lifts the blanket and looks at Sam.

Sam cover's his face behind Doggie adamantly. Dean drops the blanket with a sigh. His little brother is just sulking because their dad has left without saying good bye. The small Winchester hates to wake up and find his dad gone.

Dean doesn't like it when Sam is upset, or when he wants to be left alone. It feels like his little brother doesn't need or want him any more, and it's a pretty bad feeling, because Sam is all he has, with out him Dean is missing a huge part of him.

It's a thought, but Dean really wonders if his brother really likes him some how, so he decides to test Sam's love. He stands up and goes to the motel door. "Ok, Sammy. Since you don't like me any more I'll go so you can be alone all you want." He grabs the door knob and turns it.

Sam hears the door knob turning and jumps out from under the blanket and sits straight on the bed. He looks at Dean with huge surprised eyes; Dean is standing at the door. Dean would never leave him, he is not like dad. Dean always stays with him no matter what, but he's too young to know that Dean just want to test him, so he really believes that he is about to be left alone, all by himself, and he terrifies.

Dean doesn't expect Sam to react so intensely. Sam is looking at him with bleary eyes, pouting his lips, and ready to bust out crying. Dean recognizes his stupid mistake right away. He closes the door quickly and hurries to his brother's side.

Sam starts crying. "Dea, don' go… I so'wy." Huge tear drops roll down his chubby dimples.

Dean runs to him and hugs his sobbing brother without a thought. Sam throws himself at his brother and rests his head on his chest, clutching Dean's shirt tightly in his small fists.

"So'wy Dea, don' leave me a'wone." He buries his face in the crock of Dean's neck.

"It's ok, kiddo. I'm not leaving you alone, I was just kidding." Dean cards his fingers in Sam's soft locks, rubbing his back soothingly.

"No kiddie, Dea." Sam coughs dryly a few times then sniffs. "Kiddie bad." He coughs again.

"Ok Sammy, I got it. Kidding is bad." Dean kicks himself mentally for scaring his sick little brother and making him cry. _Freaking genius Dean, congratulation on your bright idea! Of course the kid loves you, it's not like he has some one else_.

Sam continues crying and wetting Dean's shirt with his tears. "I'm so sorry Sammy. I would never leave you."

Sam sniffs and looks up at his big brother with a red nose and teary eyes. "P'omise?" He asks after a few hiccups.

"Promise. I swear." Dean answers with an apologetic smile.

Sam circles his small thin arms around Dean's waist and puts his head back on his chest, letting his bad feeling pass.

Dean pats Sam's hair; it feels greasy under his fingers, which reminds him his brother hasn't taken a bath for a few days now.

"Sammy, do you want to take a bath?" Dean asks excitedly.

Sam hesitates to answer.

"We can make a lot of bubbles and play in the tub."

"Uh-huh!" Sam announces happily.

Dean's guilt is replaced by pride when he finally finds a way to change Sam's mood.

"Come on, then." He helps Sammy to get off the bed.

In the bath room Dean turns on the hot water and helps Sam to take off his cloths.

"Hands up, Sammy." Dean instructs his brother as he pulls up his T-shirt over his head and easily manages to take it off.

Then he kneels on the floor to take Sam's pants off. "Put your hand on my shoulder." Sam uses Dean's shoulder as leverage when he lifts his legs one by one so Dean can take his pants off, he steps out of his pants.

"Sam is the water good?" Dean asks.

Sam dips his finger in the tub's water. "I's hot."

Dean turns on the cold water. He makes sure the water is not too hot or cold before lifting Sam and putting him in the bath.

"Time to make bubbles, Sammy. Are you ready?"

Sam loves making bubbles, he nods smiling brightly in anticipation. Dean pours a generous amount of shampoo in the tub. Sam starts splashing happily in the tub to make bubbles. Dean joins him and shares his brother's joyful moment.

In a few minutes the bath tub is full of bubbles and Sam is giggling in the middle of a pile of bubbles.

"Are you having a good time, lil bro?" Dean asks smugly.

"Uh huh." Sam answers and hits the waters surface with both hands cheerfully splashing a few drops on Dean.

Dean laughs. "Sammy, be careful. I don't want to be soaked."

"Dea, look at bubbeels." Sam blows a few bubbles on his palm. All the bubbles burst as Sam blows them with all his might. "Ohhhh…"

"It's ok; I'll make you flying bubbles." Dean cups his hand in the tub and withdraws a handful of bubble, he blows them gently and two of them fly toward Sam. one of them burst on Sam's forehead, the other bursts when Sam tries to catch it.

Sam giggles. "Dea, make more bubbeels. Again! Again!"

"Ok, but you have to let me wash your hair after that."

"Flying bubbles, Dean." Sam says impatiently.

Dean makes flying bubbles one after another. Sam raises his hands and tries to catch them. The simple action brings such a joy to the small bathroom. Dean feels his heart lighten with Sam's every joyful giggle. He has missed Sam's smiles and laughs so much.

Sam stops laughing and giggling when there are no more bubbles to catch, he beams a full dimpled smile at Dean though.

"Time to wash your hair kiddo." Dean grabs the shampoo and pours it on his palm.

Sam screws his eyes shut definitely more tightly than necessary. Dean washes Sam's hair carefully and rinses it with the tub's water.

"You can open your eyes, Sammy."

Sam opens his eyes cautiously.

"Now we should wash your body." Dean grabs the bar of soup.

But Sam interrupts him with an idea. "Dea, wash Doggie too, Doggie not clean." He exclaims.

"Ok." Dean is reluctant, but he thinks since Sam has been sick and he made him to cry his heart out, he can make an exception just this time. He goes and fetches his brother's stuffed animal.

Sam hugs his dog happily and kisses its nose with his wet lips. He then dips it in the water. The stuffed animal absorbs water slowly, but when Sam takes it out it's sodden.

"Dea, shampoo! I wash Doggie hair."

Dean smiles at his brother's request; he pours a little shampoo on the toy's head, Sam starts washing diligently.

Dean uses the soup to wash Sam when he is busy washing his favorite toy. The back of Sam's left hand, where they started the IV, is still bruised and looks tender. Dean washes it, careful not to be rough with the sore spot. Sam doesn't seem to be caring at all. He is busy rubbing Doggie with soup and covering it in suds.

"Sam, enough of the soap. Rinse it in the water." Dean says over Sam's shoulder, while he is washing his back.

Sam drops the toy in the tub and starts washing it in the water. Poor Doggie, Dean smiles amusingly.

Dean first washes his brother off all the bubbles and then his toy. He puts Doggie on the sink to dry. Dean has to admit Doggie is very clean now, it's brown ears now look fluffier and it's white body is as bright as fresh snow flakes, not too shabby any more, Dean thinks. Wrapping Sam in a big towel, Dean picks him up and takes him back to the room.

Dean sits Sam on one of the bed and brings him clean cloths. He can't take his eyes off Sam as he dries his hair with the towel gently. Sam is now clean, his face doesn't look pale any more; his rosy cheeks and dazzling green eyes show no sign of sickness.

Sam catches his brother looking at him adoringly; he holds his look for a moment then smiles at him fully dimpled. Children may be too naïve to understand a complicated emotion like hate, but they easily understand love.

Dean smiles back with devotion, he has always loved his little brother, but when Sam smiles at him fondly, his heart swells with love. He wonders how life would be without Sam, and in that moment he recognizes life without his baby brother is simply impossible.

"Ok, Sammy. Time to put your cloths on." Dean kneels on the bedside and helps Sam slip into his pants. He picks up Sam's crimson-colored T-shirt. It's easy to wear, because it has a very wide collar, and Sam looks adorable in it. The collar is tilted to left and Sam's shoulder is out, but it makes him look even cuter. Dean helps Sam to wear his last piece of cloths, his shirt.

"There you go." Dean announces after closing the last button of Sam's shirt.

"Dea, I hung'y."

"Really!" Dean doesn't remember when was the last time his brother said that, but he knows that he's never been so happy to hear it. "I'll get you some soup."

Dean puts a plate of warm chicken soup on the kitchenette table after a few minutes. "Come here Sammy."

Sam goes to the table and climbs up the high chair with a little trouble. Dean decides to feed Sammy himself, because eating the liquid soup is still hard for the young Winchester to manage, and Dean doesn't want his newly cleaned brother to get himself dirty again, not so soon at least.

Dean blows on every spoon of soup so it cools faster, then spoon feeds Sam. Sam opens his mouth waiting for every spoon of soup before Dean cools it. Dean has to work faster, but it's so good, because at least he doesn't have to force feed Sam.

Sam must be really hungry, because he eats half of the plate with no trouble at all. The second half is not eaten as easily though.

"Dea, gimme 'poon!" Sam extends his arm over the table demanding the spoon.

Dean his brother gives the spoon. When Sammy is not hungry very much, it's always time to play with the food and have some fun or practice.

Dean is observing his little brother eating sloppily, half of the soup ends up on the table and the other half on his face. Sam licks the food around his lips every now and then. He is completely busy with his food when the phone rings. The Winchester family doesn't have so many people to call them, so it must be their dad, even Sam knows that.

"Daddy!" Sam jumps off his chair excitedly and runs to the ringing phone before Dean has a chance to react. He picks up the phone quickly. "Daddy!" He repeats breathlessly in the phone."…Me and Dea' took a bath, daddy; Doggie took a bath too…. uhhuh….. I eat soup….. Daddy, come back soon….."

Dean stays aside and listens to the one sided conversation Sam is having with their father.

"Dea is here… bye daddy." Sam gives the phone to his brother as soon as he says his good bye to John.

"Hi, dad."

"_Hi, son. Is every thing alright there?"_

"Yes, sir. Every thing is alright. I was just giving Sam some soup."

"_Is Sammy fine, he doesn't have a fever, does he?"_ John's voice sounds a little worried.

"No, I don't think so."

"_Put your hand on your own forehead then put it on Sam's. Tell me if Sammy seems to be warmer."_ John instructs his son and waits for the answer.

Dean touches his own forehead; Sam is looking up at himcuriously. He then touches Sam's, he doesn't seem to be much warmer, which means he hasn't spiked a fever.

"No dad. He's not warm."

"_Good, I just called to tell that I might be a little late tonight. Salt the door and the windows and don't stay up late, ok?"_

"Ok, dad. Don't worry."

"_And take care of Sammy."_

"Yes sir."

"_See you tonight."_

"Bye." Dean hangs up. It's only one of the casual phone calls when John wants to check on his kids. It always begins with _is every thing alright there_? and ends with _take care of Sammy_. So typical of John Winchester and his life style.

"Come on Sammy, you should finish your soup."

"Otay."

The Winchesters resume their positions at the table and Sam starts eating again. It gradually comes to less eating and more playing after a couple of minutes. Sam lazily turns his spoon around the plate and rubs his eye with a fisted hand. Soon he leaves the spoon in the plate and rubs both his eyes idly. Dean is familiar with the gesture, it's what a sleepy Sammy does.

Sleepy Sammy yawns and pushes the plate away. No word is needed to be exchanged. Dean cleans Sam's face with a tissue, takes his hand and leads him to his bed. After the energetic bath and eating the soup Sam is so tired and heavy to fight sleep. He lies on the bed as Dean tugs his blanket around him.

"Doggie." Sam says sleepily.

"Sorry Sammy, Doggie is wet. He can't sleep with you."

"Dea, I want Doggie. Doggie clean. Bring Doggie….pwease." Sam gives his brother a hopeful look.

"I know he is clean, but he's wet. You're gonna be sick if you sleep with a wet Doggie in your bed."

Sam wants his favorite toy so badly, he can't go to bed without it, but he definitely doesn't want to be sick again and end up in the hospital. Hospital is the most unpleasant place he has been in. The three year old can't help pouting and giving a puppy dog look though.

It's so hard not to give in to Sam's puppy dog look, but Dean is not able to give his baby brother what he wants either. It definitely is a dilemma. Sam will go back to his sulking and pouting mood without doggie, so what Dean should do?

He sighs wearily. "Look Sam, what if I sleep with you? Will it be ok?" He doesn't know if his stubborn brother is going to give up on Doggie so easily or not, but it's definitely worth the shot.

"You sleep in my bed?" Sam asks incredulously.

Looks like it's not going to work, Dean thinks.

"Yeah."

"Yeahhhh." Sam says unexpectedly. "We sleep togethe'." He exclaims happily.

Looks like Sam loves the idea of cuddling with his big brother very much. Lucky Dean.

"Don't get used to it Sammy, I can't cuddle with you every night and make you a spoiled cuddly girl." Dean has always favored toughness and ass kicking, but he can be a little soft once in a while, only for his baby brother.

He slips under the blanket beside Sam; Sam snuggles under his chin and closes his sleepy eyes immediately. Dean puts a protective hand on his brother's back and pulls him close. For Sam arms of his big brother are always the safest place in the world, always.

After a few short minutes Sam's breathing evens out as sleep drags him into a peaceful slumber. Dean can feel Sam's warm breathe on his neck and the smell the fragrant of the shampoo on his hair. Dean breathes deeply and lets the feeling of great affinity set in his heart. Sam seems so relaxed in his protective embrace, maybe Dean doesn't have to be jealous of Doggie after all. He smiles to himself and follows his little brother into that peaceful slumber.

THE END

**Well what do think? I hope it hasn't been too fluffy or soft. A three year old baby Sammy is too good to be resisted :) I had so much fun writing I hope you had as much fun reading.**

**Thanks for reading guys, review if you have a moment :)**


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